Baby bottle protector and teether combination



Qct. 15, 1957 c. MvCLARK 2,809,760

BABY BOTTLE PROTECTOR AND TEETHER COMBINATION Filed Jan. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet.l

VA'ITORNEY INVENTOR- Oct. 15, 1957 c. M. CLARK 2,809,750

BABY BOTTLE PROTECTOR AND TEETHER COMBINATION Filed Jan. 25, 1955 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 I IN VENTOR 171F455 M C1671? ATTORNEY United States Patent BABY BOTTLE PROTECTOR AND TEETHER COMBINATION 7 Charles M. Clark, Clearwater, Fla.

Application January 25, 1955, Serial No. 483,979

3 Claims. (Cl. 215-11) My invention relates generally to a combined nursery bottle protector and teething device.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel coiled member adapted to protectively encircle a nursing bottle, whereby the bottle if dropped or otherwise expelled from a crib, carriage or other elevated surface to the floor or sidewalk will be protected from possible breakage. 7

Another object is to provide in combination a shock absorber for a nursing bottle with an additional teething portion formed therewith.

Still another object is to provide a plastic tube with a spring wire core having an airspace between the inner bore of the tube and the circumference of the Wire cor whereby said space therein provides additional shock absorbing qualities and said wire core therein when heated serves as a heat distributor around the bottle for developing heating uniformity.

Still a further object is to provide an ornamental nursing bottle holder and protective device including a handle or bail to support or carry the same thereby.

A further object is to provide means for nursing bottles adapted to be made in attractive colors and various coil formations, whereby a nursing child will be interested and attracted to the bottle, the childs desire stimulated to continue nursing on the bottle, until it is taken away empty by the attending mother or nurse.

The above and further objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following de tailed description thereof, in which two embodiments of the same are described and illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side View of a first embodiment of my invention mounted in protective position around a nursing bottle;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the device of Figure 1 as it appears removed from the bottle;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the device as in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse section view taken on line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of my invention shown applied to a nursing bottle;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the protective device of the second embodiment as it appears removed from the bottle;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of Figure 5; and

Figure 8 is a transverse section view taken on section line 77 of Figure 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings and first with particular reference to Figures 1 and 3, there is shown a bottle B around which is coiled the present novel bottle protector C. This protector C comprises a tube 10 with a coiled spring wire core 11, see Figure 4. As illustrated in Figure 1, the tube 11 may be of translucent material, such as an acrylic resin compound or other synthetic plastic of any desired color, such as red, green, orange and s 2,809,760 C6 Patented Oct. 15, 1957 the like, or of any combination of colors for eye appeal, such as in Figure 2 wherein the central wire coil is not visible.

My invention is preferably assembled by first forming a continuous piece of wire into a resiliently deformable coil spring having a bottle base loop 12, a sinuous coil 13 having a series of convolutions encircling the circumference of the bottle body B, a reduced coil or convolution 14 relatively smaller than the convolutions 13 encircling the bottle neck D, and an upwardly canted relatively larger loop 15 than any of said convolutions 13. This loop 15 serves the multiple purpose of first, a teething ring, second of a handle or bail either to carry the bottle or to hang the same from a suitable support, and third to form a protective circle around the breakable nipple cap.

The advantages and uses of my invention are believed generally apparent. For example, the tube 10 is flexible, soft and resilient and formed with an intern-a1 bore 16 larger than the circumference of the wire or spring core 11, whereby an air space 17 is established when the tube is applied over the spring coils or convolutions of wire. The complete protective unit C may be compressed substantially flat toward the base loop 12 and the neck loop 14 turned slightly to enlarge the same, to permit a nursing bottle B to be inserted base first into the compressed body convolutions 13. The neck loop 14 and the body convolutions 13 are then gradually released and the same are permitted to return to their respective normal extended positions around the bottle B.

The bottle B and the protector unit C are now joined together and both may be positioned as a unit in a bottle warmer or the like to warm the contents of the bottle. As the bottle is warmed the wire coils pick up the heat of the warming fluid and conduct some heat upward and around the bottle to obtain a more rapid and more uniform heating of the bottle and contents. Also, the airspace 17 will hold some heat and by convection impart such heat in moderation to the tubing 1%.

The airspace has another specific function and advantage, namely, that of enhancing the shock absorbing qualities of the protective device C. For example, assuming that the bottle with the protector unit applied is dropped or thrown for some reason onto a hard surface, it is the combination of the soft resilient tubing 19 plus the air cushioning effect of air space 17, which doubly reduces breakage possibilities of the bottle under such conditions.

During the nursing period the infant usually is attracted to the bottle by the coils 13 or the teething ring or handle 15, and will alternately finger or grip the tube 19 while nursing. Furthermore, before or after nursing, the infant may be permitted to bite on the loop 15, if desired.

The second embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figures 5 through 8, inclusive, functions and is utilized in a manner identical to the first embodiment just described. However, in this form of the device, the body loops are made to snap on the bottle B by forming a pair of alternately aligned bottle clamp loops 18 and 19. These clamp loops 1% and 19 normally slightly overlap each other in spaced apart relation and due to the spring action of the inner wire coiled spring to in the tube 21 will grip the bottle body under tension when snapped thereover.

To apply the unit C to the bottle B in this second embodiment, the spaced spring loops 13 and 19 are spread apart manually and the neck of the bottle is inserted into the neck loop 14' and hanger or teething ring 15', and the bottle pushed inward within the coils of the loops adjacent the base loop 12, until the body of the bottle is embraced by the loops 18 and 19 in assembled relation.

Thus there is provided a multi-purpose unit for nursing bottles serving to protect, stimulate nursing interest on the part of the baby, promote uniform heating of the bottle and aid the baby during teething.

Without further description it is believed that the invention and its advantages are clear and understandable to others in the art, and while only two embodiments are illustrated, it is to be expressly understood the same is not to be limited thereto, as various changes may be made in the construction, combination and arrangement of the elements as may now appear to those skilled in the art. For a description of the scope or limitsof the invention, reference should be had to the appended claims,

What is claimed is: V

1. A nursing bottle protector comprising an elongated coiled member including a supporting base loop, a coil including a plurality of turns of substantially uniform diameter for encircling the body of a bottle, a reduced bottle neck engaging coil, and an upwardly canted handle forming loop of greater diameter than said bottle body encircling turns, said coiled member comprising a plastic tube having a resilient Wire disposed within the bore thereof, said wire having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the bore with a resulting air space for the purpose set forth.

2. A nursing bottle protector comprising a single member coiled about an axis and including a base supporting loop, a plurality of bottle body encircling convolutions of uniform diameter which are greater than the diameter of said supporting loop, a bottle neck engaging convolution of less diameter than that ofisaid body encircling convolutions and a handle forming loop disposed at an angle to said axis and being of a greater diameter than that of said body encircling convolutions, said single coiled member comprising a plastic tube, and a spring wire core disposed within the bore of said tube, the bore being of substantially greater diameterthan that of said wire core with a resulting air space for the purpose set forth.

3. A nursing bottle protector comprising a single member coiled about an axis and including a base supporting loop, a plurality of bottle body encircling loops alternately disposed in opposite directions circumferentially of said axis, a bottle neck engaging convolution of less diameter than that of said loops, and a handle forming loop disposed at an angle to said axis and being of a greater diameter than that of said body encircling loops, said single coiled member comprising a plastic tube, and a spring wire core disposed within the'bore of said tube, the bore being of greater diameter than that of said wire core with a resulting air space for the purpose set forth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 932,128 Houston Aug. 24, 1909 1,174,490 Gillen Mar. 7, 1916 1,459,192 Bell June 19, 1923 2,632,320 Liss Mar. 24, 1953 

